Auby Tyoooo

I started asking Aubrey how old she was about a week before her birthday to get her prepped and she quickly picked up on the fact that when anyone asked, “Aubrey how old are you?” the correct response was to hold up both of her index fingers and declare, “Auby tyooo.” Now she likes to try it out on everything.

Mommy tyoooo.

Dodgie [doggy] tyoooo.

Two nights ago I laid in bed with her while she practiced displaying the number two on one hand at a time. It took some help from me to get an effective peace sign style number two out of her uncoordinated fingers but once she had it she held it until she finally gave up and fell asleep while I stroked her hair.

While she’s still a remarkably well behaved child, it’s almost as if someone flipped a switch on her second birthday and I am seeing the evolution of a little attitude forming. She still gives up on her tantrums in record time because she has learned that mom and dad never give in, but now there is a little something extra in her temper that wasn’t there before. It’s hard to put my finger on it but there has definitely been a change. The biggest of which is her more frequent (yet still playful) use of the word, “no.” She says “no” just to say it now. She has reached the age where it is absolutely vital to her to assert her independence and autonomy by  displaying her ability to defy anything on a whim. She doesn’t have to have a good reason to turn down a bite of a delicious peanut butter and nutella sandwich other than the simple fact that she can. Of course she changes her mind moments later once she is satisfied that she has some control over her surroundings.

I know that once she begins being more adamant about her desires it will wear on my nerves a bit. I’d be lying if I said that it wouldn’t. However, it is still amazing to watch her sense of self evolve so rapidly. It was only yesterday when I could tell her what she was going to wear, eat, and do and she complied without question. It’s nice to see her developing a sense of self that I hope will continue to carry her along a path to a confident, assertive, well rounded young woman some day.